Intervertebral spacer implant with pivotally engaged links

Abstract

An intervertebral spacer implant can include: a plurality of links, each link having a hole bored along an axis of said link and said hole of each link of said plurality of links aligns to form a channel bored through said plurality of links, wherein a first link of said plurality of links is pivotally engaged to a second link of said plurality of links. The implant can include an elongated member, such as a guide wire, adapted to retain said plurality of links, wherein said elongated member is configured to mate with each said hole of each link of said plurality of links. At least one link of the plurality of links includes a body having one or more textured sides. The elongated member is adapted to allow said plurality of links to rotatably articulate with respect to one another, such as by a hinge.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An implant assembly comprising:
 a plurality of links linked together in a chain, wherein each link of said plurality of links includes a hole bored from a first end opening to a second end opening along an axis of said link and said hole of each link of said plurality of links aligns to form a channel bored through said plurality of links when the chain is in an elongate linear orientation, wherein a first link of said plurality of links is pivotally engaged to a second link of said plurality of links, wherein a first end opening of the first link is adjacent to a second end opening of the second link when the chain is in an arcuate orientation. 
 
     
     
       2. The implant of  claim 1 , comprising an elongated member adapted to retain said plurality of links, wherein said elongated member is configured to mate with each said hole of each link of said plurality of links. 
     
     
       3. The implant of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated member is a wire. 
     
     
       4. The implant of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated member is adapted to allow said plurality of links to rotatably articulate with respect to one another. 
     
     
       5. The implant of  claim 4 , wherein the links are rotatably articulated with respect to one another by a hinge. 
     
     
       6. The implant of  claim 5 , wherein the links are rotatably articulated with respect to one another by the adjacent holes of adjacent links having adjacent conical openings that face each other and that prevent the elongate member from binding by forming a smooth arcuate path between adjacent holes. 
     
     
       7. The implant of  claim 4 , wherein the holes and elongate member are shaped and dimensioned so that the implant slides along the elongate member. 
     
     
       8. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein at least one link of the plurality of links includes a body having one or more textured sides. 
     
     
       9. The implant of  claim 8 , wherein an elongate member is positioned transverse to the one or more textured sides. 
     
     
       10. The implant of  claim 1 , wherein at least one link includes a body with at least one second hole transverse to said hole. 
     
     
       11. An intervertebral spacer implant assembly comprising:
 a plurality of links linked together in a chain, wherein each link of said plurality of links comprises a hole bored through said link, and said hole of each link of said plurality of links aligns through said plurality of links, wherein a first link of said plurality of links is pivotally engaged to a second link of said plurality of links; and 
 an elongated connector mechanism adapted to retain said plurality of links in the chain in an elongate linear orientation or arcuate orientation, and allow said plurality of links to rotatably articulate with respect to one another, wherein said elongated connector mechanism is configured to mate with each said hole of each link of said plurality of links. 
 
     
     
       12. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the elongated connector mechanism includes a guide wire. 
     
     
       13. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein at least one link of the plurality of links includes a body having one or more textured sides. 
     
     
       14. The implant of  claim 13 , wherein the elongate connector mechanism is positioned transverse to the one or more textured sides. 
     
     
       15. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein at least one link includes a body having at least one second hole transverse to said hole. 
     
     
       16. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the elongated connector mechanism is adapted to allow said plurality of links to rotatably articulate with respect to one another by rotation of said plurality of links around a plurality of hinges that pivotally engage the plurality of links with each other. 
     
     
       17. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the links are rotatably articulated with respect to one another by a hinge. 
     
     
       18. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the links are rotatably articulated with respect to one another by the adjacent holes of adjacent links having adjacent conical openings that face each other that prevent the elongate member from binding by forming a smooth arcuate path between adjacent holes. 
     
     
       19. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein the holes and elongate connector mechanism are shaped and dimensioned so that the implant slides along the elongate member. 
     
     
       20. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein one of said plurality of links comprises a body portion comprising:
 at least partially textured sides; 
 at least one second hole configured through at least a portion of said body portion; and 
 the elongated connector mechanism positioned transverse to said textured sides. 
 
     
     
       21. The implant of  claim 11 , wherein one of said plurality of links comprises a body portion comprising:
 at least partially textured sides; 
 a pair of connector flanges positioned transverse to said textured side; 
 a hinge hole configured at least partially through each of said pair of connector flanges; 
 a hinge pin positioned in the hinge hole so as to connect adjacent links; and 
 the elongated connector mechanism transverse to the hinge hole. 
 
     
     
       22. The implant of  claim 11 , comprising a hinge pin adapted to connect a first link of said plurality of links to a second link of said plurality of links. 
     
     
       23. The implant of  claim 11 , comprising:
 a plurality of hinged links, wherein each link of said plurality of links comprises:
 the hole bored through the axis of said link; 
 a hinge positioned along an axis perpendicular to said hole; and 
 an elongated connector mechanism adapted to retain said plurality of links and configured to mate with each said hole of each link of said plurality of links. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said hinge includes a hinge pin. 
     
     
       25. An intervertebral spacer implant assembly comprising:
 a plurality of links including at least a first link pivotally engaged to a second link of said plurality of links, the plurality of links having a linear orientation when aligned and an arcuate orientation when pivoted with respect to each other; 
 the first link comprises a first body having a first guide hole extending from a first opening in a first end to a first conical opening in a first hinged end and adapted to receive an elongate member therethrough, the first hinged end having at least one first connector flange with an off-centered first hinge pin hole extending therethrough such that the first hinge pin hole is traverse to the first guide hole; 
 the second link comprises a second body having a second guide hole extending from a conical second opening in a second hinged end to a second opening in a second end and adapted to receive an elongate member therethrough, the second hinged end having at least one second connector flange with an off-centered second hinge pin hole extending therethrough such that the second hinge pin hole is traverse to the second guide hole and such that the second hinge pin hole aligns with the first hinge pin hole; and 
 a hinge pin located in and extending through and between the first hinge pin hole and second hinge pin hole. 
 
     
     
       26. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein the first hinged end of the first link includes at least a pair of first connector flanges with a gap therebetween with an off-centered first hinge pin hole extending from the gap through each of the pair of first connector flanges such that the first hinge pin hole is traverse to the guide hole; and
 a second connector flange is located in the gap between the pair of first connector flanges. 
 
     
     
       27. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein at least one first connector flange of the first link with the off-centered first hinge pin hole includes a first traverse abutting surface that abuts with the second link when in the linear orientation and a first stop-pivot surface that abuts the second link when in the arcuate orientation; and
 at least one second connector flange of the second link with the off-centered second hinge pin hole includes a second traverse abutting surface that abuts with first link when in the linear orientation and a second stop-pivot surface that abuts the first link when in the arcuate orientation. 
 
     
     
       28. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein at least one first connector flange of the first link with the off-centered first hinge pin hole includes a first traverse abutting surface that abuts with a second traverse pivot-stop surface that is associated with the second connector flange of the second link when in the linear orientation and a first stop-pivot surface that abuts with the second traverse pivot-stop surface of second link when in the arcuate orientation; and
 at least one second connector flange of the second link with the off-centered second hinge pin hole includes a second traverse abutting surface that abuts with a first traverse pivot-stop surface that is between the one or more first connector flanges of the first link when in the linear orientation and a second stop-pivot surface that abuts the first traverse pivot-stop surface of the first link when in the arcuate orientation. 
 
     
     
       29. The implant of  claim 28 , wherein the first link includes the first traverse abutting surface connected to the first stop-pivot surface so as to form a first angle adjacent to the first hinge pin hole; and
 the second link includes the second traverse abutting surface connected to the second stop-pivot surface so as to form a second angle adjacent to the second hinge pin hole. 
 
     
     
       30. The implant of  claim 29 , wherein the first link includes the first traverse abutting surface and first stop-pivot surface forming the first angle adjacent to and longitudinally aligned with the first hinge pin hole, wherein the first guide hole is longitudinal; and
 the second link includes the second traverse abutting surface and second stop-pivot surface forming the second angle adjacent to and longitudinally aligned with the second hinge pin hole, wherein the second guide hole is longitudinal. 
 
     
     
       31. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein the first guide hole is along a centered axis of the first body and the first hinge hole does not intersect the first guide hole; and
 the second guide hole is along a centered axis of the second body and the second hinge hole does not intersect the second guide hole. 
 
     
     
       32. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein when in the arcuate orientation, the conical first opening of the first guide hole of the first link has a wall that aligns with the second guide hole of the second link. 
     
     
       33. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein when in the linear orientation, the conical first opening of the first guide hole of the first link is defined by a conical first opening surface that abuts a conical second opening surface of the second conical opening of the second guide hole of the second link. 
     
     
       34. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more first connector flanges of the first link include a textured outer surface and a smooth inner surface that is slidable with respect to a surface of the one or more second connector flanges. 
     
     
       35. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more second connector flanges of the second link are devoid of a textured surface. 
     
     
       36. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein the first end of the first link is a terminus of the implant and the second end of the second link is an opposite terminus of the implant. 
     
     
       37. The implant of  claim 25 , comprising the elongate member located in the first guide hole and second guide hole. 
     
     
       38. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein a surface of the one or more first connector flanges is an outer surface of the first link, and a surface of the one or more second connector flanges connects to an orthogonal surface that extends to and is associated with an outer surface of the second link. 
     
     
       39. The implant of  claim 25 , wherein a surface of each of two first connector flanges is an outer surface of the first link, and two surfaces of the one or more second connector flanges connects to different surfaces that each extend to and is associated with opposite outer surfaces of the second link. 
     
     
       40. The implant of  claim 25 , when in the linear orientation the first guide hole and second guide hole form a linear continuous channel; and
 when in the arcuate orientation the first conical opening of the first guide hole and second conical opening of the second guide hole form an acruate channel.